Southwest USA

The southwestern US states. New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada.

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I believe in magic, and I believe in wonder. And I believe they can be experienced every day in the simplest of ways.
The smile of a stranger is magical. The light in another's eyes. The sun peeking through the clouds. The bountiful blooms of nature. Everywhere we go, and everywhere we look, we can experience a sense of magic and wonder.
Having been fortunate enough to experience the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, this sense was on maximum overload. It's a true wonder of nature. The geological process of how these pristine, towering, awe inspiring white sand dunes formed is fascinating, as is the experiencing of them. Add in the surrounding New Mexico mountains and desert flora for an extra dash of mysticism.
Perhaps more than any other locale that I've experienced in my journeys, I was filled with an immensity of wonder, awe, and connection to something greater, and so much more powerful than myself. My spirit and soul was vibrating with excitement and aliveness, in this place of pure magic.

The 1,000 words of this image sum up how I feel about North Central New Mexico. They call NM the land of enchantment, and it is incredibly enchanting. In this moment, it was the "Land of Wow". Spent the day on a scenic drive through the Jemez Mtns. I was already in a state of heavenly bliss from the breathtaking, and diverse treasures found on this drive. One of the best in America. When I looked out to this scene, my heart skipped a beat, I stepped out of the vehicle, and exclaimed out loud: "WOW". I've attempted to convey the feeling in this capture, with fairly minimal post processing. This is the scene, as seen.

Unusual often equals beautiful. This is an albino peacock. Not quite what we're accustomed to, but splendidly beautiful in it's own way. I came across this stunningly pleasant surprise at the zoo of Roswell, New Mexico. Not the only unusual findings in Roswell!

The Valles Caldera (volcanic crater) in the gorgeous Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, a 13 mile expanse, created 1.25 million years ago is quite a lovely scene.. the expansive views, meandering streams, and huge herds of Elk are the highlights.

My piece titled "Land of Wow" is a scene in the incredible Jemez Mountains that had me giddy, and exclaiming "WOW" out loud. Already feeling like I'm in heaven on Earth and in love with life, I couldn't have asked for anything more. Little did I know that only a few hundred yards away, after passing through a tunnel in the mountain, this scene provided yet another unforgettable WOW moment!

This scene absolutely took my breath away. On a cross country trip traveling through stunning Colorado in May, stopping at Exit 111 was an absolute must!! I could hardly believe the intensity of the green trees covering these mountains. It may seem as though I've photoshopped the green in this image, but this is what mother nature gave us. The Colorado river flowing through this valley, the bridge adding a touch of character, and a perfect cloudy blue sky provided much majesty & joy on this stop.

For me, this image epitomizes Utah, and why I love the visual appeal of the state so much. This formation was found on the side of the road during a road trip through Utah, and is typical of the fascinating formations of rock & earth that are found in abundance everywhere you look.

This shot really jumped out at me while hiking a trail in Zion Nat'l Park Utah. The rock formations, reddish hue, and detail carved into the mountain was begging for me to create a piece from this spot. Also noteworthy is the rustic brownish cliffs in the distance. Thankfully, other hikers on the fairly busy trail were pretty patient with me as I tried to capture the artistic nature of this scene. With a gray sky, and feeling a bit rushed, I had a tough time doing it justice, and had to work at it a bit in editing to bring out the color that was seen by the naked eye.